This morning, I took my kiddos to school per usual. I was planning to make a stop in the classrooms to see if I might be of some assistance, but made a pit*stop at the restroom first. I wasn't in there 30 seconds before I heard one of MY kids outside the door...
"Mooooom...Mom....MOMMY!!"
"Get away from the door!", I snarled.
REALLY???? I can't even get a minute's privacy in a public restroom either???? Geeeezzz Louise!!!!
Expectations.
We all have them. Some are realistic, and some are off*the*charts*ridiculous.
Seriously.
Think: someday I'll be Mrs.
Yeah. No. Not realistic. At. All.
Having a neat, orderly home at all times in the midst of raising
Never being late for church & yet still having well-dressed & perfectly behaved children. Not totally realistic, either...but I'm working on it.
Having a well-balanced meal on the table each day...now, that's more like it.
Sometimes, we set our goals for ourselves pretty high....and, sometimes, that's a good thing. I think that having something to work for & look forward to is healthy & gives life purpose. However, I also believe that the goals we set for ourselves should be set through prayer & even consulting with our spouse.
I know I have been guilty of consulting with my latest issue of Homeschooling Family or Better Homes & Gardens, and setting my expectations based on the fabulous things that I see there. Then, when I fail to live up to my goals, I feel like a failure.
Whaaaat?? I can't get my 8 kids to behave perfectly in public, while all lined up in age/height order according to eye color & shoe size???? If Michelle Duggar can do it with 32 kids, I can do it with 8!!!! I'm such a loser!
I am overweight, my hair is dull, & don't look just like Julia Roberts??? She is older than me! I am such a slob!
Ugh....I can't make my dinner, curtains & tablescapes all coordinate with my blouse like Sandra Lee???? I can never have company again!
These are all silly examples, but I'm guessing you're a smart enough person to understand my point.
First of all, I would like to point out that real life is messy. Kids play. Food gets dropped. Puke gets spewed. Dishes get stacked. Laundry overflows. Schedules get altered (or forgotten). Weight gets gained. Life happens.
What we should expect is the grace to be able to take each percieved setback & see it for what it is. Ask yourself this question: If I am upset about this situation, what should I be doing differently? In other words, analyze WHY you feel frustrated/angry when things don't
Are you throwing a fit?
Are you being realistic in your expectations for yourself, your kids, your spouse, your friends/family?
Will life suddenly end if you have to change your thinking?
Are you being selfish?
Yes, this is a pop quiz.
Yes, these are trick questions.
God is good about throwing curves in our way when we have mapped out a perfectly straight path for ourselves. That is a necessary ingredient in making life more interesting. More importantly, how we handle these curves determines whether or not we are growing up & maturing or if we are still spoiled little kids throwing a tantrum because we didn't get our way.
Say, you have all of your self expectations within normal range, you handle life's curves with suave & finesse. In other words: you got it goin' on.
Let me ask you this: What are your expectations of others?
Hmmmm.....?
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